Improvement in pedometers



B. S. CHURCH. Podomotor.

No. 210,096. Patented Nov. 19.1878.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

lili.\'.l.\. ll.\' H. Ulilllttlll, til" iK AltllOliOUUll, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PEDOMETERB.

specificati n forming part of Letter intz ai QIOJHH), dated Nuvrmlu'r ii l i 't applicati n tiled t cptember N, 1 '7".

To all trltont i! may concern:

lie it. known that l, BENJAMIN H. Cannon, of Hearlmrongh-on-the-llndson, in the county of \\'estehester and Htute of New York, have invented certain uewand useful im irovetneuts in ltalotneiers; and i do hereby eclnre that the following speeilit'ttliolt, when taken itt connection with the accompanying drawings, is such a full, clear, and exact descri iiiOll ofthe same as will enable others skilled in the art to umkc and use the same.

in said drawing, Figure 1 is a front elevation of tlte instrument, showing the cover of its case removed, in ortlerto expose the face of the registering-disk and indicator. Fig. 2 is a similar viewot'theinternaldrivingmechanism, which is attached to the back plate, the registering-disk and the parts carried by it being removed to expose the satne. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the vertical ecuterol' Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view ol'the registering mechnuisnt, tints showing the indicator, registeringdisk, its hub. the dill'ereutial wheels, and the fastening-spring. Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of the registering and drivingmechanisms, as adjusted in their operative positions. Fig. ii is a rear view of the registering mechanisms which are carried by tlte registering-disk, showing more particularly the mode of fastening the parts in place by means of the tint spring 22.

The object of this invention is to secure a more perfect operation of this class of instruments than has heretofore been attained; and to that ettd the invention consists in an improved construction of the parts and coatbinntions thereof, whereby distances walked over may be accurately measured and recorded, whether the. steps taken itt passing over the distance ittOitiLtl be lottg or short, all of which is too particularly hereinafter set forth to need further preliminary description.

The meehauismsnte all contained in a case, A, similar to n watch-case, which may be provided with a hook, pin, loop, or btttten for securing the instrumentto the person itt an upright position, and with n protecting-cover, l).

The actuating or driving mechanism is attached to and supported by a circular back plate, 1!, which is secured to the inner side of the back of the case A by means of screws passing through screw-holes 21 21.

The actttatiug weighted lever 1" is fulernmed upon a pivot which projects from the back plate, It passes through an arm 12 of the lever i0,and is llxed in place b abridge-piece, 13. The lever 10 iseounterba aneed by means ofa lmw-sprtng 1.3, which, seated ltt tlte end of an adJnstln deck, 16, is connected to the arm 12 of an d lever by alink, .l, and the power of this spring 15 is capable of regulation by means of the adlustnble block 10, which is slotted, so as to move to and fro over a fastening sctscrew, by which its position may be fixed. The preferable form of this block 16 is a swinging lever, as shown. The actuating wclghtul lever 10, which vibrates between limits constituted by the stop-plus 11 17, is tints suspended frotn the spring 15, whose )OWCI is a col) adjusted so as to overcome i to gravity of or balance the weighted end of said lever and hold it in its a t ermost. position against the stopplu 17, or ill its lowermost position against t it! stop-pin 11, us may be desired. Thislever 10 has projecting frotn its lowerside palatesfi 8, which are so shaped as to alternately engage the-teeth of a starwheel,4, accord ng assaidleveris in its uppermost or lowermost position, and when said lever is vibrated so act as to revolve said starwheel step by step. This star-wheel 4 is fast upon a stud, upon which is also fixed a drivin -pinion, 3, which latter en ages with and drtves the ditierential toothet wheels 1810 when said star-wheelie revolved, as will presently appear.

The registering mechanism consists of an indicator, 20, and a registering-disk, U, which devices are revolved in the same direction at ditiercnt speeds by means of the ditl'erentialtoothed wheels 18 10. The toothed wheel 18 is centered on the lntb 0, and tlxed to the rear face of the registering-disk U by means of a pin, 7, and hence the disk Uand wheel 18 may freely rotate togctbertumn the lutb i). This hubtl has a tiauged head, which rests upon the face of the disk (J, while its stem, project ing from the rear side thereof, is stepped, so as to form independent shouldered seats for the wheels 18 10. The toothed wheel 10 is secured to thelmb 9, so that the same shall revolve with it. h means at" n fnrlteil spring. 2;, the lilnhs nt' whieh enter a reeess ent in the stein ut' saiil huh near its inner end. tllltl hear npnn the little! tin-e nt' the heel lt while the elul at the sprin;, hasa right-angular sllul that engages in a hnhnnnle in the enter t'aee nt' suiil wheel in. This sprin .31! thus hy its t'rietlnn linhls the wheels lh' lt tllltl registering-disk(in their prnper relatire pnsitinns en the huh 9. while at the same time permitting the huh whit-h earriesthe inilii-atnrifit tn he llllllt'tl it) hanil withnnt nin\'in; the saiil wheels when it is desired in :nlinst nr set the intlirittnr :it an peint upnn the registering-disk.

'lhe itnlieatnr Btl is hil'ureateil. an as tn prn- \'itlt twn prnngs, whieh pass thrnngh enrrespnniling hnles lll'tH'ltlttl in the head iii the huh tl, as is elearly shnwn in l"i;.:. l.

The parts nt' the registering inei'hanisln hehl tegether h the spring 2;! are plaeetl en the pest. H, which prnieets t'rnni the center of the haek plate, It, aiul thnls its hearing in a eentral perthratinn through the huh 9. in \\'ltltlt pnsitinn the itltllllttl wheels in ill will prnperl mesh with the teeth til the pininn it. These parts may then he :nlinsteil tixeilly in plaee h tneans nt'a serew, l, whieh is entered into a tappeil hnle in the (lltl at the pest. H, and has its tlangeil heail seateil in a .\'tl('.l(tl. t'nrnn-il in theimterenil at the pet'l'nrat-inn in thehnh The inilieatnr-earrying wheel ltl hasa lesser nnniher(nnenrninrelntteet 11 than hasthe regisitl'lll; "-tlll\'-t'tll'l' \'lll; 1 wheel lh,antl it theret'nre t'nllnws, sinee hnth are siiunltanennslr rntateil in nine tlil'tt'lltlll h the same pininn Ii, that the p'ininn lt will inure. t'aster than tllttl grailuall gain npnn the wheel lh, atnl thus that the iiulieatnr 120 will he tltl\'tlllt'ttl en the registering-ilislt (a ilistanee equal in the. \\'itlill nt'nne nr ninre teeth (luring t'tlt'll re\'nlutinn (if said wheels.

in its use this instrument will he ailinsteil upon the hell til the user so thatthe nnulial line iii the aetnating-lerer ltl will he llt)li'/,t)lltal, as in Fig". L. New, as eaeh step is taken the ennenssinn prnilui-eil therehy will everi-uinethe eunnterhalaneing-spring lfianileanse the lever ltl tn he \'ihratetl nne pulsation, whieh will, thrnngh the pallets ti and h, :nl- \anee the star-wln-el -l nne tenth, anti thrnngh the tlli\'itl; "-|llllltitt It, nun'e the tnntheil wheels lh ltlaenrrespniuling ilistanee. 'lheinilieatnr Jtl anil registering-disk will thus he siinnltanennslr lll(t\'t'tl t)ll\\';ll'tl nr rntatetl in the same ilireetinn, the result heing that. when the wheels 1h ainl li have (:tt'll nnnle nne revnlntinn the llltllt'ttltll will have gained a certain ilistanee npnn the registering-llislc, whieh ilistanee will he registered by the seale nnirltetl therenn, :nul whieh may inilieate a lnile nr an ether tlistanee.

As it. is nln'inns that there are l'ewi-r lnnt ste s than shnrt. nnes talu-n in passing over a mile nt'ilistanee, ainl theret'nre that the llltlllher at pnlsatiuns ut' the aetnatinglerer It) is ileereaseil ;l(t'tll'tllll, 'l the instrument must. he ailapteil in register theilistanee traveleilnver,

whether the innuheret' steps taken In eaeh Inlle he greater nr less as they are lnnger nt' shnrterthan the average. Htlptmslttg that the average nlnnlwr ef steps taken in traveling a mile he sneh us will. thrnngh the rihmtlnnsut' the tlt'lllttllllgltu'l l0 euuse the hnlleatnr .0 in tttl\'tltlt't ever the ieglsterlngihsk n illstunee equal tn that between twn nf the sealelines, 0 tn ii, at n pninl "pen the. illsk ent'respntnling with a given nnent'the snhilli'lslnns marked npnn the unit-line .ltt, it t'nllnws that. a lesser nuinhernt' steps, as lnngernnes, fewer nt'whieh ennstitnte a mile nt' distant-e, will |ll()tlll('t. a lesser nnlnher nt \iht'ttllnns nt' the aetnating-lever l0, and theret'nre that the inilieatnr will tltl\'tlllt'(. ever the registering-disk a lesser ilistanee: or, it the number at steps he greater than the average, a enrres mnil inglyim-reuseil nntnher nf vilwntinns nt' the lever it) will ensue, tllltl a gieater extent at ninrenuint. of the inilieatnr will result, as will he readily nnilerstnnil.

in order that this ilitl'erenee in the length nt' steps taken hy ilitlerent iniliriiluals may he eninpensateil t'nr, alnl eaeh lnile enrreetly registered, no matter what the length and ennseqnent nuinhel' nt' steps i.'nn.-ititntin;. it may he, the registering-disk is |ll0\'l(lttl with a \ar \'ing seale, inereasing t'rnni the nnterinnst, where. it is tll\'ltlltl intn twelt'ths, tn the innermust grailnatinn therent', where it is divided intn eighths; nml the intlieatnr .30 is nnule :nlinstahle in the. huh 9, sn that its pnintmay he readily nun'eil tn enint'iile in pnsitinn with any one nl' the griuhniting-inarks snhiliriiling the unit-line 3t), whieh innrks ilnliente inehes, int-reusing in ninnher lUWilltl the perimeter nt' saiil disk, the example shnwn t'ntlsistiltg nt' marks indicating inehes, inereasing t'rnin .23 in 535.

In :nlinsting the instrument. tn suit. the length at step taken by the user, it. is nnly neei-ssary tn aseertain hy trial the average length nt' step in inehes, and then tn adjust. the illtllttlltll' so that. its pnint enineiiles with the snhilirisinns at the unit-line. .ltl at the registering-disk \\lll('ll enrres unuls tn that till!"- her nt'inehes, \i'herenpnn the instrument will reenril the nnuiher nt' steps taken. and ennseip|entl the ilistanee in miles iltlYtlt'tl ever.

.-\s shnwn in the drawing. the inilieatnr is settn registerilistanees em'ereil hy steps equal tn 32 inches in length; henee, when the pnint til the iniliealnr reaehes the line 1 til the scale one mile will have been trin'eleil ever, unit so nn, it. heing understood that. t'nra lnngernr shnrter step the indicator is set at the pt'npel grailuatinn en the line 0.

Having thus described the ennstrnetinn and nperatinn nt' my iinprnreil peilnineter, what. I elaini therein as new, and desire tn seeuro hv Letters Patent, is-- i l. The ennihinatinn, with the ennnterhaltllltt'tl aetuating-lm'er It), having pallets ti 3, at the star-wheel t and ilrn'ing'pininn .l, substantially as ileseriheil.

.2. The eninhinatinn, with the weighted acttinting-lever iii, of tho nltnohing-link L and eomponsutiug-s u-ing l5, substnntially as described.

ii. The combination, with the registering un-elmnisms, the weighted actuating-lever it), and t-ompensnthag-spring 15,0i'thc adjustingbiot-k iii, sulmtuutiuily as described.

4. The combination of tho registering-disk (l,indieutorilil,dilierentltd-wheelsl8lll,iluuged and stepped hubfl, and spring 22, substantially as described.

5. Tho combination of an adjustable indientor with the registering-disk, having a. \i\iii\- bio. st'alc whose divisions increase in number from the inuennost to the outermost, or \ice versa, and which are subdivided by a unit-line graduated by a scale of inches, whereby tho pedometer may be set to suit tho length of step of the user and record the distance traveled over, substantially as described.

In testimony wbemotl have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BEIJ. 8. CHURCH.

Witnesses:

ll. '1. liltmson, (mo. ll. Gasnsm. 

